Page 86 of Midnight Kiss

I stepped through, and a shadowy figure stopped me, a pale hand outstretched.

“I thought you might use the back entrance,” Ezekiel said.

Five other vampires stepped out beside him, from darkened doorways that led off the cramped corridor.

“You didn’t think that you would get past us, did you?” Ezekiel asked.

“I came and brought what you wanted,” I said.

This was the only choice I had. I shielded my mind from any potential telepathic attacks, and the bombardment began. The vampires tried to get through to my thoughts, to discover my plans, and failed.

“So secretive,” Ezekiel said. “Come now. Give me the book if you want your Emily back.”

“How do I know that you’ll give her to me?” I asked.

“You don’t,” he replied. “But what choice do you have?”

None. But they didn’t know what I had planned either. I had come here, to the back entrance, for a reason. I wanted them to understand that there wasn’t a section of Sanguine Nox’s headquarters I hadn’t seen.

I had practically “grown up” here. I had been raised into vampirehood here.

I forced a smile. “Where is Emily? I want to see her before I hand you the book.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

“I won’t give it to you without seeing her first.”

Ezekiel pursed his lips. Finally, he crooked a finger and beckoned me to follow him. We moved down several halls, twisting and turning, moving deeper, past flickering torches bracketed to the walls, and finally into the dungeons.

Anger threatened to overwhelm me.

Ezekiel flicked a hand and a hatch opened in the dungeon door across from us.

Emily was tied to a stone slab inside, blindfolded, breathing shallow.

The hatch slammed shut again. “The book.” Ezekiel extended his hand.

29

EMILY

Noises in the darkness. Movement.

Was Karn back?

My body tensed, and I hated it. I hated this feeling of fear and the illness that came with it. The curse. The fact that, all through these past few weeks, I’d been attacked and chased, and every single time, I’d had to be saved. Or defended. Or locked away like a precious object.

It was like I was an observer in my own life, and I was so done with it. What was the point in living when all I experienced was fear and pain? Where was the strength? The courage?

Another movement in the darkness, and this time, I wasn’t as afraid.

What was the point? Why be afraid this close to the end? If I was going to die, I wasn’t going to do it cowering. I had been through enough in my life—enough when I’d lost my parents, enough when I’d wound up bullied and victimized by the children at the orphanage, enough after all of this.

For once, I wanted to live my life how I wanted to live it. Even if it was only for a few minutes.

“Good evening, Emily.” Karn’s tone was calm albeit rasping. It sounded like the turning of an old page in a book, but not in a comforting way. “Are you hungry, perhaps?”

“No. I’m not hungry,” I said. “Being tied up and blindfolded against your will tends to do things to your appetite.”